The wedding of Renate and Maurice was very funny, personal, relaxed, and… cow-ish. Maurice and Renate live in a tiny village, on a farm together with their 45 cows. Maurice milks them every day, even if it means getting up at 5AM, and even if this causes them to never even have a day off. Their farm is one of the milk suppliers for the typically Dutch “Beemster” cheese. Renate is a veterinarian and animal lover, and maybe even more passionate about cows than Maurice is! Their house is stuffed with all things cowish – from bed linen to mugs and decoration for the house. Cows play such a big role in their life that they had to have a cow themed wedding; they even chose to have a cow to transport them from their house to the ceremony… Don’t miss the rest of the story of their day below! Photography by By Nadia.

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The wedding took place on August 30, 2013, in a small village called Ursem in the Netherlands. Just this once, these words come from the photographer (who obviously got very excited about the wedding)!

Instead of choosing a limo, an old timer or a bike as their wedding transportation from their house to the ceremony, Renate and Maurice hired wedding cow Leentje! Leentje was spectacular and hilarious – she even had the names of the couple written on her back. Nobody knew about this special transport, so it was a great and funny surprise for the guests.

The ceremony was made very personal by celebrant Daphne van den Boogaard. Maurice and Renate wrote their own vows; a lovely and meaningful touch to the ceremony.

Because of their work / hygiene, Maurice and Renate chose for an alternative to wedding rings: a Celtic hand fastening ritual. The vows were attached to each other ánd to the hands of Maurice and Renate with a ribbon, which stands for their connection and dedication to each other.

After the ceremony, there were cow-shaped wedding cakes and cupcakes, made by a friend of the bride. Entertainment for the afternoon was provided in the huge garden: an animal show in which a dog did some fabulous tricks, with and without the help of a dozen ducks.

One part of the garden was turned into a camping for the weekend, so all the guests could sleep over if they wanted. It gave a very relaxed festival-like atmosphere, with all the guests struggling with setting up their tents on this sunny afternoon.

A biological dinner was served in the open air; on long tables standing in the grass.

The day came to an end with a informal, fun party in a tent in the back yard of the farm. Let’s hope the cows didn’t mind the music ;-)

Nothing!

I am really happy the day was exactly the way we wanted it to be: fun, relaxed, and surrounded by all our loved ones. It really fitted our personalities!